Music roll



May 22, 1928.

L. S. ROBERTS MUS IC ROLL Filed July 22, 1922 Poll A Mus/c 6 wwevwog & am Mm Patented May 22, 1928.

UNITED: STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEE S. ROBERTS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE Q. R. S. MUSIC COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

MUSIC ROLL.

Application filed July 22,

My invention relates to improvements in the end construction of music rolls such as are used on player pianos and the like. The wide and growing use of these instruments and of music rolls therefor, has served to emphasize certain defects in the music rolls, particularly in the end construction thereof, which have been rather diflicult to overcome.

The sheets of which these rolls are formed are generally fabric, usually paper, and are rather easily torn. The conventional music roll has a tapered end and a tab with an eye therein by which it can b e hooked to the roll or spool forming the core and support of the sheet or roll proper. This tabhas always been a weak point in the music roll, andis usually the first place in the roll to become torn, and when the tab forming the connection with the roll or spool is destroyed, the -0 music roll is worthless, although the body of the sheet may be in good condition.

Because of its reduced size, and the fact that it bent backward and forward in connecting it with the hook of the roll, the tab is very likely to become torn, and moreover when the roll is being rewound, the free end of the sheet, and particularly the tab, flies out and strikes repeatedly against the adjacent part of the case which contains it, thereby weakening the tab, and the end portion of the sheet makes an objectionable noise as the eyelet of the tab strikes the case, and furthermore, the repeated blows of the flying tab on the case quickly mar the instrument and wear away the finish.

Another objection is that when the roll is rewound upon its spool it is usually somewhat loose, and the operator will grasp the roll around the middle part thereof, thereby rump ing h p p a d injuring he 10 1- sometimes tearing it. Then again after the sheet or roll is wound on its reel or spool, it has a tendency to become loose, thereby rendering it more liable to be torn, and often it is held in place by a rubber band slipped over the roll, and the band itself does not last long, often breaks, leaving the free end of the sheet or roll loose.

Various attempts have been made to strengthen the tab part of the roll, and sometimes a springy tab has been used which, however, has had loose hinged connection with the sheet, and this will only engage around the roll when pressed by the hand, and if the operator forgets to do this,

1922. Serial No. 576,764.

the flying spring tab is even worse than the ordinary tab, and the end portions of the spring arelikely to tear the body of the sheet orroll.

Theobject of my invention is to overcome these difliculties, and I have accomplished this result by making the end portion of the roll and the tab thereof of springy material which will automatically close tightly around the roll and retain its place. In carrying out this idea, I use springy material which is fastened flat upon the end portion of the sheet or roll and forms a part of the tab,this springy material being suflioiently flexible to permit the roll end to be straightened out in use, but sufficiently springy to close automatically when the outer end of the roll is reached in winding or rewinding the sheet. In this way I produce a roll end or sheet end which is stronger than any other part of the roll, which by its action automatically closes the roll tightly upon its reel or spool, and which when the roll is removed from the instrument, serves to keep the free end of the roll tightly in place, thus preserving the roll. This result can be attained in various ways, but I have shown in the accompanying drawings a structure which I have used successfully, and which works in the manner stated. This structure is preferred, although the invention is not limited to it.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming apart of this specification, in which similar reference characters indicate coresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 a broken plan view of the conyen tional tapered end of a sheet or roll showing my improvements.

Figure 2 is a broken longitudinal section partly in perspective, and with the parts opened up or separated in places so as to show the structure of the roll end, and.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic View showing the action of the spring end, and also illustrating the manner in which the end when not provided with my improvements flies away from the roll.

In the drawings 10 represents the end port-ion of a music sheet or roll which is usually tapered to facilitate its connection with the spool or reel, and it has usually a projecting tab 11 in which is an eye 12 generally formed by means of an eyelet 13, this bein attached to the hook of the reel or spool to enable the roll to be wound thereon. The rollis of fabric, and usually of paper,

so that it is likely to be torn, and it is necessary to stren then the tapered end thereof.

I give to this end portion of the roll a springy structure, and this can best be done by fastening a flat spring 1 to the middle portion of the roll so as to extend outward" and in practice I have found celluloid suitable, as this has the necessary tension,;is easily applied, and does not rust, but the material of course can be varied.

It is important to have the spring member 14 fastened flatwise and firmly for its whole length against the sheet 10, as otherwise the spring would hump up and fail to serve itspurpose fully. Moreover, it would be likely to tear the body portion of the poses.

sheet, or strike the casing with the objectionable noise and results hereinabove referred to. v

The spring member 14 can be fastened flatwise upon the sheet in any convenient way, but I show a way which is suitable.

which I have used successfully, and which preserves the customary appearance of the roll, which is always desirable for trade pur- On the inner side of the sheet I use a reinforcing strip 15 such as is generally used-on roll ends, but make it long enough to cover the spring member let, and with its front end extending and forming a part of the tab. On the inner side of this reinforcing strip I preferably use adhesive 16, which serves to fasten the strip to the sheet or roll end 10. On the opposite side of the sheet end I use a second reinforcing tab 17, which is formed into the customary label upon which the desired printed matter can be placed, and which is like the conventional front reinforcement, except that it has the extension 18 long'enough to cover the member 14, and the strip 1'7 is also preferably provided with adhesive 19 on its inner side.

When the roll end is to be formed, the member 14: is laid flatwise upon the back of the sheet and pressed out straight, and theber 14 has such a tension that it naturally curves around the roll so as to automatically and firmly close the free end of the roll upon the body thereof. This will. be best understood by reference to Figure 3 of the drawings, in which 20 represents the roll body. With the ordinary construction the free end portion A of the sheet will fly around as indicated in dotted lines and strike against the adjacent part of the case, and will be loose on the body of the roll, unless fastened by extraneous means. my improvement, however, the free end portion closes as indicated at B, and in the drawing I have not shown it in closed position, but rather in the act of springing around the roll body which it hugs tightly.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that the spring member 14 might be of any desired width or length, that it may be fastened fiatwise to the sheet 10 in otherways than that illustrated, and that my invention is not, therefore, limited merely to the construction shown, but comprises a music roll or sheet having a springy end portion adapted to automatically close around the body of the roll. It is not in tended to include a tab except when the latter forms a part of thespring end, that is to say, it is not intended to include a spring tab which is hinged or otherwise freely connected to the sheet.

I have found by actual practice that when this spring end construction is used on rolls,

the difficulties noted at the beginning of this With specification are entirely overcome, the roll 7 lasts much longer, it is always in better condition, it is always tightly closed when not in use, and it makes no noise when the free end of the roll is reached in rewinding.

I claim 1. A music roll having a tab at its free end, and a flat spring member terminating in a straight lower end secured to said roll, the lower end of the entire spring member conformingto the shape of said tab, said spring member being under normal coiling tension whereby it is automatically adapted to coil around the body of a roll.

2. A music roll having a tab at its free end, and a flat spring member terminating in a straight lower end secured to said roll, the straight lower end of said spring member conforming to the shape of said tab, sai d tab and spring member having an eyelet therein, the entire spring member being under normal coiling tension whereby it is automatically adapted to coil around the body of a roll. a

3. A music roll comprising a sheet having a tab, a spring member extending lon itudinally of the sheet and tab, the end t ereof adjacent the tab being of substantially the same size and shape as the tab, said tab and.

spring memberhaving an aperture therein,

lib

and means secured to said sheet and tab on each side of said sheet for retaining the spring member in position and reinforcing the end of said sheet and said tab.

4. A music roll comprising a sheet having a tab, and spring means secured to said sheet and tab and normally under coiling tension throughout the entire length thereof whereby the end of the sheet and said tab normally tend to coil, said tab and said spring means being provided with an aperture adapted to engage the hook of a roll re ceiving spool.

5. A music roll comprising a sheet having an. apertur'ed tab, spring means adjacent said sheet and tab and said spring being normally coiled throughout its entire length so as to react into coiled form on being straightened and released, the lower end of said spring means conforming to the shape of said tab, and means secured to the rear of the sheet to enclose said spring means and to retain the same in flxed position, and label holding reinforcing means secured to i the front of said sheet and extending over the tab.

6. A music roll having a tab at its free end and a concealed flexible reinforcing element secured to the lower end of said roll and extending adjacent the tab, said element being under normal coiling tension throughout its entire length whereby it is automatically adapted to coil around the body of a roll.

7. In combination with a music roll having a tab, reinforcing means for the end of said roll and tab comprising a flat flexible member extending longitudinally of said roll and tab having its upper end portion extending for a substantial distance along the sheet above the tab, and the lower end portion conforming to the size and shape of said tab and secured thereto, means secured to said sheet and tab and having its lower end conforming to the shape of the tab for retaining said flexible member in position, label holding means secured to the opposite side of said roll and having its lower end conforming'to the shape of said tab for reinforcing the roll and tab adjacent the flexible' member, and an eyelet in said tab and extending through said flexible member and its associated elements for holding said tab and flexible member together and for engagement with the hook of a roll receiving spool.

8. Means for strengthening the tab of a music sheet and its securement to the sheet which comprises a flexible strip having its upper end portion extending for a substantial distance along the sheet above the tab, and its lower end portion secured to said tab and conformed to the shape thereof.

9. A music roll having a tab at its free end and a flat spring member terminating in a straight lower end secured to said roll, the lower end of said spring member conforming to the shape of said t'ab, said spring member being under normal coiling tension whereby it is automatically adapted to coil around the body of a roll.

10. A music roll note sheet having a terminal for engaging the take-up roll of the player, comprising a spring clasp normally coiled with a diameter less than that of the music roll when fully wound upon its spool and with length approximating the circum ference of the roll thus fully wound; fabric reinforcements adherent to the note sheet on opposite sides of the spring clasp and opposite sides of said note sheet at the terminal portion of said sheet; said reinforcements being wide relatively to the spring clasp and conformed at their outer extremities to the outer extremity of the note sheet, the spring clasp having at its extremity closely adjacent to the extremity of the note sheet, an eye for engaging the draft pin of the take-up roll.

LEE S. ROBERTS. 

